There are several monthly rentals available in The Plantation, a very nice retirement community in Leesburg. However, the rents seem a bit steep and I think you have room to negotiate. My parents lived there for several years and really enjoyed it; Mom moved back to PA after Dad died. She sold her house about 9 years ago, just before the real estate bubble started to burst and similar houses are selling in 2016 for the amount she got in 2007. So don't be shy about asking the realtor or homeowner for a discount.

Hate to say this but in NYC my doctor went concierge two years ago..fee for office visits went down and you can see her on short notice but the idea stinks.


Why has Leesburg become the front runner here? What about places like Lauderdale? Delray?

We do not use a concierge doc, but-- if you need to see your doctor for longer than 8 minutes (plus the 2 that you say hello and goodbye, then it may be a service for "you" in order to get good care.
The practice and cost of medicine is in crisis, and until we get a single payer and the cost reductions and care that that will bring, these things will continue to irk some and benefit others.
PCPs not seeing their own patients IN hospital brings its own problems--hospitalers can make discharge a problem.
AND for OP moving to another state, be sure your insurance is useable there--and if you choose another company, see how their network of doctors works and if all doctors will accept that insurance. Some companies are so poor at paying doctors(and they are BIG ones) that docs don't want to deal with them--but they offer a "good" price for their insurance.

Dukey, I won't amend my comment. If you have a decent Doctor bravo to you. I work with Hospice clients and could write a book on the crap I've seen in Fl. I have found a decent Doctor 30 miles from my home but even she has diagnosed me wrong. My fed blue let me go to a specialist who did but now my insurance won't unless she gives referral.
Have you looked at Howie in the Hills?

martinekb "finding a place to rent for about a month"

is very different than your title of

"moving to Florida"



(Macross, I think Dukey is a doctor)

Suze, the (good) advice since the OP posted "moving" has been to try it out for periods of time to see if that is what she really wants to do. ;o) Hence a rental.

Suzie, we want to look for a place to buy while we are in Florida. We don't want to buy sight unseen. Because we have responsibilities here in Minnesota with the ownership of our present home here, leaving for longer may be more difficult and costly. We are now thinking of going to Florida for purchase possibilities in the winter and yes, partly because we could use a break and then returning for a month in the summer. To just leave our home for long periods of time like half a year, would not only be costly, it may be responsibly foolish. Much of what we own is here in our home. My parents lived the summers on a beautiful lake in Minnesota and the winters on Marco Island. They owned both places...had planned it well and owned for 60+ years. Wally and I did not plan it like that so we have to go with what we have and where we are at now. We have one home, have spent many wonderful times vacationing in Florida, albeit not in the summer and are looking to sell here and buy there. We want to do this as carefully as we can. We are not young, so, we do as much research as we can, narrow the possibilities down head for the most likely choices to take a look see. We are under time constraints because of our age...so we want to do this as quickly and efficiently as possible. The people who have responded to me here in this forum have been/are immensely helpful. Words cannot express my gratitude for all they have told me, warned me...places they have directed me. In my wildest dreams...I never thought I would get this much valuable help and in this short of time. I come here now, frequently to see what new information is being shared. This is difficult for us, but with this kind of help...Wally and I can do this and I think, can do this well. How can I ever thank these people...people I don't even know but who step up and are truly so helpful.

Suze, yes he is a Retired Doctor but lives in Fort Lauderdale area so medical might be much better there or he has enough sense to run before they kill him. I just left a clients house this am and his daughter came before I left and we discussed this as she is a nurse at the hospital I think is a bit better. She was freaking at the Doctor's in our local and said now she understands why so many in our community travel to her hospital. Her Dad is the way he is now because of medical mistakes.


http://www.zillow.com/howey-in-the-hills-fl/ I still would not be afraid of the coast. We have had one bad storm here since 87 and we had zero damage. Poor Cedar Key got hit hard. My cousin went yesterday to help clean up. Just a mess there.

So, now my dream place... It would be on the ocean so I could see the sunset every evening. Our home now is situated on the east side of the lake in Minnesota and every night I see beautiful sunsets over the lake to the west. I just assumed that with the kind of money we would be putting down, there would be no way I could ever see that sunset again. We have spent many vacations over the holidays at Indian Shores...Used to bring my twin daughters there when they were babies. They learned to swim there at Indian Shores. Seems like yesterday but in October they will be 32 years old. They are busy with their lives and I don't see them much any more. I would love to be near those peaceful shores again but that would probably cost more money than we would be putting down. I enjoyed the boardwalk at St Petersburg. It is possible we could use some of our RCI time share time to stay and explore some of the 55+ communities. Oh...as long as I am dreaming tonight...another thing I would like is a pool right nearby...so that I could just go out my door and go swimming. Are you saying I need a couple million dollars?

triangled

We really have no idea of your budget. If your lake house in MN is just right for summer, find a cheap place in FL for winter--they call them snowbirds I think. It really could be a condo with a pool.
You probably should have a financial advisor do a complete look of your financial situation, including market value of your MN property. The single thing seniors fear most in later life is running out of money.

My parents lived relatively happily in Spring Hill for about 10 years - about an hour north of Tampa and 2 hours west of Orlando. Prices for houses were extremely reasonable because the area is resolutely middle class. However, summers turned out to be hotter than they would preferred -- global warming had already begun, because they had done their homework on "average" temperatures and it was hotter than than almost every year.

We have definitely been snowbirds but at a certain age, even traveling back and forth gets to be a bit much. Owning two places would be nice but not economically feasible. We still have a mortgage on our present home. In two years that will be down to $800 a month but I think still our budget will be tight. We are living on our social security and pensions and do not use our IRAs saving that for later possible needs. A friend sold her home next to us and paid cash for a twin home not far away. Her family goes back many generations out here so being here is important for her. She is in her mid 90s, an energetic and lovely lady who does lots of entertaining. She has few financial concerns because of her decisions. We do have a financial advisor but these choices are ours and we are well aware of our financial situation and considering carefully the cost of change. I retired early. Our finances changed. We are now considered middle income though to me it is 'tight' middle income. We use no credit cards and take out no loans. We live on the money we have earned and that is all. We need to simplify our life going forward and buying a smaller home for cash is preferable. There will be expenses...always are and as we get older those expenses can get steeper. We take these expenses in as considerations...have to...associations fees and the like. We keep files on all our research and contacts. We look at community, fees, taxes, insurances, weather challenges, health care facilities, stores and more. Trying to gather as much information as possible. I have received incredible help from people here and have followed up on just about every piece of advice. I would be foolish not to. I wish there was a way to thank everyone individually. Perhaps one day I will figure that out. For now, I and my husband just want to figure out the best place for us in our sunset years. A place a little easier to get around that does not include ice and snow and heavy parkas and boots and below zero weather. I suspect hot and humid may be a bit easier to handle than bitter cold and blizzards. Our home is being assessed tomorrow...10AM. We already have a couple assessments. but want as clear a picture as possible of the kind of moneys we will be looking at when the dust settles.

You still might look at true retirement communities. You might be surprised that after totalling all your costs of home ownership/taxes/upkeep, at retirement community might be the best economic solution.
And renting may also be a better solution than ownership--there's been a big sea change in that in the last few years. Of

Of course it is "your" decision, but experts can also bring in projections and other factors that you may not have considered.

You may be right there. Keeping our home and rent. We will consider this again. Is there a difference between 55+ and retirement communities? I still think hot and humid weather would be easier than snow and ice. I think of when we are 90...a ways away yet but I don't want to be caught off guard. We live in the country....many of these people are in their 90s and still living on the farm...they do tend to look after one another I think....but then again, they grew up through the generations that grew and farmed together. We did not. We raised our family in a suburb of Minneapolis called Deephaven on another beautiful lake called Lake Minnetonka. When our children were grown, we bought this land and built a log home of logs cut in British Columbia...huge logs...no chinking needed. I wonder if Florida has as beautiful areas as we have here in Minnesota. When I drive highway 15, the rolling hills and fields and wooded areas still take my breath away even after 16 years being here. I truly love it. But, then come winter...5 to 6 months of long bleak gray and white winter with icy roads and long drives to town.

No I don't think Florida looks like Minnesota at all. It's beautiful in a different way. Then again you aren't going to find the ocean and beach in Minnesota either! And don't even get me started about winter weather :-)

I would say winters here in Minnesota are the main reason we are moving, that and the fact that we are so far out in the country. We could move to a more urban area here in Minnesota but we would still have to contend with winter. Yes, Minnesota winters is why we are leaving. We are now more earnestly looking for places to rent in Florida...not possible in the "communities" but we can rent nearby and then go check these places out...maybe be able to stay a few nights at a couple of these places. It is getting exciting...a little sad...I love my place here...I love it in the summer...love the swimming, kayaking, gardening, walking around in flip flops. Sooo...what are the beauties in Florida...I like the palm trees, love the ocean,

Where in Florida did you spend the many winters you mention above? Why isn't that the place to go?

Some winter months were spent on Marco Island...so long ago I don't remember the name of the places...condos rented, and a lot on Indian Shores...My children liked to return to Holiday Villas. We were usually there over the thanksgiving and Christmas holidays...never summertime.

Sooo, my husband isn't liking the idea of renting our house out and rent for longer period in Florida...I am not as strong as I once was or I would take a look see by myself...just had redo on rotator cuff surgery...but maybe going by myself to look might work...starting to feel a little overwhelmed again...was reading too late tonight.